Saturday, June 29, 2013Maidana pushing for shot at Broner
By Dan Rafael

Welterweight contender Marcos Maidana, a big puncher from Argentina, wants a shot at newly crowned welterweight titlist Adrien Broner and, as his mandatory challenger, is trying to force the issue.

Broner outpointed Paulie Malignaggi on June 22 to win a 147-pound world title -- his third in three weight classes in the past 19 months -- and, along with the title, inherited the mandatory obligation.

Immediately after Broner's victory, Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer said he liked the idea of Broner's first defense coming against Maidana, for what would undoubtedly be an interesting fight -- one that would pit Broner's speed and skills against Maidana's brute strength.

"As the WBA mandatory challenger since last year, Maidana definitely wants to fight Broner next, and I let both Richard and Al know that," Contursi said.

"Richard and [Golden Boy president] Oscar De La Hoya told me they also want that fight. If Broner decides otherwise, he will have to give the title away and Maidana would be in line to fight for the vacant title. When and against whom? Don't know yet."

Contursi said he should have a better idea of what will happen in the coming days.

Maidana, a former junior welterweight titlist, is coming off an action-packed sixth-round knockout of Josesito Lopez on June 8.

Contursi said Maidana's title shot is overdue. When Malignaggi held the belt, he was ordered to face interim titlist Diego Chaves no later than Jan. 27. When it didn't happen, Contursi complained to the WBA and Malignaggi-Chaves went into negotiations for April 27 in Dubai, with Maidana in line to face the winner. But the Dubai deal was a dud (shocking, right?) and Maidana was offered the Lopez fight, which he won. Chaves, meanwhile, lined up a defense of his interim belt against Keith Thurman for July 27. And when Broner beat Malignaggi, the obligation to face Maidana came along with it.